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2023: Obasanjo Endorses Labour Party Candidate, Peter Obi
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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has endorsed the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, as his preferred candidate for the 2023 elections.
In the 2023 New Year message signed by the former President and made available to newsmen by his aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo described Obi as his mentee and said the former Anambra State governor had an edge in the 2023 elections.
Obasanjo said, “None of the contestants is a saint but when one compares their character, antecedent, their understanding, knowledge, discipline, and vitality that they can bring to bear and the great efforts required to stay focused on the job, particularly looking at where the country is today and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi as a mentee has an edge.
“Others like all of us have what they can collectively contribute to the new dispensation to liberation, restoration and salvaging of Nigeria.
“One other important point to make about Peter is that he is a needle with thread attached to it from North and South and he may not get lost.
“In other words, he has people who can pull his ears, if and when necessary. He has a young and able running mate with a clean track record of achievement both in public and private life.”
The letter partly read, “I am constrained to write this letter to all Nigerians especially young Nigerians, friends of Nigeria globally as well as our development partners because of the gravity, responsibility and implications of the collective decision Nigerians, both young and old, will be making within the next two months.
“The last seven and a half years have no doubt been eventful and stressful years for many Nigerians. We have moved from frying pan to fire and from mountain top to the valley.
“Our leaders have done their best, but their best had turned out to be not the best for Nigeria and Nigerians at home and abroad. For most Nigerians, it was hell on earth.
“Those of us who are alive should thank God for His mercies, brace ourselves for the remaining few months of this administration and pray and work very hard for an immediate better future – future of liberation, restoration and great hope and expectation.
“We have had campaigners going up and down the country feeding us with what they mean and what they do not mean, what they understand and what they do not fully understand, what is possible and what is not possible, what is realistic and what is unrealistic, what is true and what is untrue. I believe that we need not be confused nor be gullible. Let us be cautious, not to be fooled again.
“I have interacted with the major contestants and I find it interesting that, in one form or the other, each of them claims to want to do what I did during my Presidency and to take Nigeria back to where it was at the height of my Presidency and immediately after.
“I was pained that most of them do not realise that the Nigeria of today had been dragged down well below Nigeria of the beginning of my Presidency in June 1999.
“Although at that time, Nigeria was in very bad shape and was tottering on the verge of collapse and break-up. Even then, Nigeria was not faced with the level of pervasive and mind-numbing insecurity, rudderless leadership, buoyed by mismanagement of diversity and pervasive corruption, bad economic policies resulting in extremes of poverty and massive unemployment and galloping inflation”.
“For these reasons, I kept pointing out to them that the instruments used in 1999 to 2007 and methodology used will grossly be inadequate for the perilous situation we now find ourselves.
“Without prejudice but with greatest respect to each individual with utmost regard for the best for Nigeria and all Nigerians and from my personal experience, all the major contestants claim to be my mentees. I will not deny such positions since I have worked with all of them directly and indirectly in government.
“I have come to realise a number of factors in character, attributes and attitude that are necessary in the job of directing the affairs of Nigeria successfully and at a time like this. These characteristics or attributes are many but let us be mindful of some key ones together.
“From interaction and experience, and as mentees as most of them claim, I will, without prejudice, fear or ill-will, make bold to say that there are four major factors to watch out for in a leader you will consider to hoist on yourself and on the rest of Nigerians in the coming election and they are what I call TVCP: Track record of ability and performance; Vision that is authentic, honest and realistic; Character and attributes of a lady and a gentleman who are children of God and obedient to God; and Physical and mental capability with soundness of mind as it is a very taxing and tasking assignment at the best of times and more so, it is at the most difficult time that we are.”
“Let me say straight away that ‘Emi Lokan’ (My turn) and ‘I have paid my dues’ are one and the same thing and are wrong attitude and mentality for the leadership of Nigeria now. They cannot form the new pedestal to reinvent and to invest in a new Nigeria based on an All-Nigeria Government for the liberation and restoration of Nigeria. Such a government must have representation from all sectors of our national life – public, private, civil society, professional, labour, employers, and the diaspora.
“The solution should be in ‘we’ and ‘us’ and not in ‘me’ and ‘I’.
“Mind you, I reiterate that no human being is an angel let alone a Messiah, but there are elements of these attributes and on comparative basis and by measure of what we know of, and what some of us have experienced from the front-runners, we must assess judiciously and choose wisely.
“If anybody claims he or she has anything to the contrary, it will be up to him or her to prove to us.
“I pray not to be proved right again in the bad sense but rather to be proved right in the positive and glorious sense of Nigeria becoming what God had created it to be – a land of plenty and prosperity united for common purpose of inclusive society, common security, shared prosperity, equity, egalitarianism, justice, and equal stake in the Project Nigeria with leadership role of Nigeria for the black race and fair share of global division of labour.
“One ridiculous point that has been touted to justify unjustifiable appointments and selections is ‘competence’. In truth and in reality, genuine competence can be found in any region or section of Nigeria through track record and performance if only people will honestly and sincerely look hard for people with such attainment and attribute. Most of us in good conscience can testify to competence when we see any anywhere. What is masqueraded as ‘competence’ is self-interest and nepotism.
“We have a unique opportunity to correct ourselves by ourselves for the good of ourselves. Those who are preaching division, segregation, separation, and want to use diversity for their own self and selfish interest are enemies of the nation, no matter what else they may disguisedly profess or proclaim.”
Former Vice President Abubakar has asked President Bola Tinubu to give a full account of Nigeria’s borrowing and debt profile and address the hardship faced by Nigerians following the removal of the fuel subsidy.
Atiku said this in a statement issued by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communications of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council.
He said after more than three years of reforms, Nigerians are facing higher food, transport and energy bills, with public debt recorded at N166.79 trillion as at June 30, 2026, according to the Debt Management Office (DMO, compared to N49.85 trillion in March 2023.
“A government that says more money is coming in must explain why it keeps borrowing and why the people paying for its policies cannot see the promised gains,” Atiku said.
The ADC presidential candidate asked the President to identify old debt newly recorded, foreign debt whose naira value rose with the exchange rate, and every new loan contracted since assumption of office, as well as what has been repaid and outstanding.
Atiku said the debt question cannot be separated from the lived reality of ordinary Nigerians, noting that while government reports improving macroeconomic outcomes, many citizens struggle with the cost of living.
He said the true test of economic policy is whether Nigerians can afford food, transportation, housing, education, healthcare and electricity.
He cited an IMF assessment in June 2026, which said reforms improved macroeconomic outcomes but acknowledged conditions remained difficult, estimating poverty at 63 per cent under the national poverty line and saying 27 million Nigerians faced food insecurity in the latter part of 2025, with a warning that higher fuel, food and transport costs could worsen poverty.
He also cited recent fuel price pressures, with petrol selling around N1,400 per litre in Lagos and Abuja and as high as N1,500 in parts of northern Nigeria in September, while diesel exceeded N2,000 per litre.
Atiku said the cost of servicing debt has become a major concern, citing BudgIT report that quarter of 2025, debt service reached N12.52 trillion against N18.63 trillion revenue — 67.2 per cent.
He noted the 2026 fiscal framework provides for about N68.32 trillion expenditure against projected revenue of N36.87 trillion, leaving deficit of roughly N31.45 trillion.
He recalled President Tinubu’s remarks at Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi in May that Nigeria expected to spend about $11.6 billion on debt service in 2026, describing the amount as nearly half of projected revenue.
Atiku also demanded disclosure concerning DMO’s external debt-service schedule for second quarter of 2026, where $39.25 million was recorded as ‘other charges’ between April and June 2026, including $22.5 million against First Abu Dhabi Bank Total Return Swap and about $8.97 million against Deutsche Bank AG.
He asked for clarification on what the $22.5 million charge was for, which agreement authorised it, original facility, how much was drawn and obligations outstanding.
He also asked for reconciliation of Treasury Bill borrowing, noting DMO reported N19.48 trillion outstanding Nigerian Treasury Bills at 30 June 2026, and urged the government to publish what subsequently matured, redeemed, rolled over and what constituted new borrowing.
Atiku said the administration should apologise to families facing hardship and account for revenues and borrowing.
“An apology is not too much to ask from a government under whose watch many Nigerians have been pushed into deeper economic distress,” he said.
“Good economics must ultimately improve human life. If government revenue rises while families become poorer, Nigerians have right to demand full account.”
- He urged the Federal government to reconcile borrowing, explain charges, show what sacrifice has produced and focus on making life affordable.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has reportedly postponed his return to the country.
TheCable reports that the president’s travel plans changed at the last minute.
Tinubu was expected to return to Nigeria today after spending weeks in Europe on a working vacation.
He was expected to arrive in Lagos, where he would remain for up to a week before proceeding to Abuja, the nation’s capital.
However, the president’s itinerary has been revised, with his return to Nigeria now expected on Tuesday.
Tinubu left Nigeria on August 30 for London, where he began what the presidency described as a three-week working vacation as part of his annual leave.
After spending about a week in the United Kingdom, the president travelled to Paris, France.
During his stay in Paris, Tinubu met with French President Emmanuel Macron and businessman Vincent Bolloré.
The presidency announced on September 21 that the president had extended his stay abroad by a few days and was expected to return to Nigeria at the weekend.
According to the presidency, Tinubu remained in touch with officials at home and continued to oversee government affairs while abroad.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented him at some official functions during his absence.
However, Shettima travelled to New York on September 20 to represent Nigeria at the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The latest change to Tinubu’s return schedule comes amid questions over his prolonged absence from the country.
His extended stay abroad has led to a constitutional debate, with some opposition figures questioning whether presidential powers should have been transferred to Shettima after 21 days.
Section 145 of the 1999 Constitution states that a president proceeding on vacation shall transmit a written declaration to the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, after which the vice-president assumes the functions of the president in an acting capacity.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said on Tuesday that there was no vacancy in Aso Rock, adding that Tinubu remained in charge of the country’s affairs despite being outside Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu says his administration had identified mistakes made by previous governments, appealing to Nigerians for more time to address those lapses
Tinubu made the appeal on Friday through the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during a special prayer session at the National Mosque in Abuja to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
Tinubu said peace and development are gradually returning to the country.
“This anniversary—the 66th—by all accounts signifies Nigeria has come of age,” he said.
“The person of 66 years cannot be called a child anymore. Nigeria has become mature, even though when we reflect on the journey from independence to date, we may say it was a mixed journey.
“Nigeria was bedeviled with a lot of issues in the past and opportunities as well. But we thank Almighty Allah for granting us the life and the peace for us to witness this very historic event today.
“My message to the country on behalf of the Mr. President, the Senate President and all members of the National Assembly is that the citizens should not lose hope. Peace is coming back to this country. Development is coming back to this country. Things will get better as we progress in this democracy.
“More importantly, citizens should look at the focus of the government of today, that the mistakes of the past—the cumulative mistakes and the missed opportunities of the past—are being corrected in this particular administration.
“And I want to categorically make it clear that Nigeria is on the right path; that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that Nigerians have finished making sacrifices for this country to be great again.
“We should give this government more opportunity for it to come back and finish the good work [it has started].”
Senior government officials, including Barau Jibrin, Deputy Senate President; State governors; National Assembly members; ministers; George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; and military chiefs, attended the event.
